Wednesday, November 5, 2008

And then my world came crashing down...

Something happened tonight that changed my life.

As I wrote in one of my last posts, work has been insanity as of late due to two events and a presentation in a span of about two and half weeks. For that reason, my typical daily gym routine (which is only broken for severe circumstances) had to be completely disrupted.

Being that the gym is my life (see post below "The Gym.") it has been depressing both physically and mentally not to be there because my gym routine is tantamount to my physical and emotional wellbeing. Sick, I know.

I joined my gym when I was a sophomore in college because my mom was trying it out and told me that there was a dance class and dance teacher at this new gym in town that I would love. For once, she was right.

I went to once class and fell in love with the instructor, Daniel, the choreography, the music, how quickly the class flew by and how much fun I was having. More than five years later, I take classes with Daniel for two hours, three days a week and have personal training sessions with him a fourth day. It destresses me, keeps me energetic and makes me happy.

My gym schedule and my gym social life are things I have come to take for granted. They are so ingrained in my life that when my schedule is thrown off, it is as if I am experiencing some weird type of vertigo.

After tonight, it looks like I am going to suffer from a severe case of vertigo.

Plugging away at my desk at work as carpet cleaners sprayed and vacuumed the carpets below my feet, I receive a text message from my good gym friend, Rachelle:

"FYI Daniel is no longer teaching at CanDo. Tonight is his last night."

I had missed Wednesday night dance class where Daniel announced his resignation from the gym effective immediately.

My first thought was that my friends were playing a joke on my and giving me the typical guilt trip for missing class. When it was confirmed that this was the truth I was stunned into silence momentarily. Then the tears came.

These were tears of true sadness. Five of my close friends who I met at the gym and retained our relationships mostly therein cancelled their gym memberships on the spot. The rock of my life shattered inside me an instant and an element of my life that I so rely on disappeared.

There is much talk about the Lifetime Fitness Clubs opening in Berkeley Heights and Florham Park and I want to check them out because they sound FANTASTIC but they are also extremely expensive and geographically somewhat inconvenient for me.

Right now I am still in shock. I am sad that I was not in class tonight to be able to say my goodbyes and receive the closure for a closed chapter in my life. I speak as if someone died, and without meaning to be dramatic, but unable to avoid it, I really feel as if someone has.

I know this post is bizarre and rambling and incoherent, but I can't find a way to make sense of my thoughts or emotions right now.

For now... I am searching for alternatives and a place to get to the physical and mental benefits currently afforded to me by CanDO Fitness in Short Hills, NJ.

Blech. Daniel Dalpiaz, you will be greatly missed - you have changed my life.